Abu Dhabi Racing’s UAE Driver Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi

Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Racing, is working to promote Abu Dhabi in international top level motorsports via strategic relationships with Abu Dhabi-based motorsport stakeholders and strategic partners (and sponsors – Citroën Racing). His goal is to build and support new Emirati drivers to reach the highest level of competition globally. His mission for the Abu Dhabi Racing brand is to increase Emirati participation in various global motorsport series, including off-road and circuit-based disciplines.

Rallying and motorsports are a nation passion, and as one of the UAE’s most experienced rally drivers, Al Qassimi is again at the wheel of an Abu Dhabi Citroën Total WRC Team DS3 RRC, in partnership with Northern Irish co-driver Chris Patterson, competing in four selected WRC events. One of the races was in Italy – “Rally d’Italia Sardegna” (11 Jun – 14 Jun 2015), which was again held in Alghero, that features loose slippery gravel and rough rocky terrain (plenty of dust too).

After a disastrous opening leg (having faced some car trouble), Khalid Al Qassimi managed to improve over the course of the stages with a positive, fighting spirit and made it through to Day 4, just outside the points! At the end of the race day, Al Qassimi said he was just happy to be still in the competition, and that is the most important thing.
In the end, driver Khalid Al-Qassimi and his navigator Chris Patterson were pleased to make it to the end and finish in the top 10. Though he had no stage win or podium spot, Al Qassimi did earn a point that allowed him to position himself 12th (with 9 points) in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) Overall Standings.

Abu Dhabi Racing chairperson, Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, is making it his primary objective to reinforce the emirate’s global motorsport stature by representing his country and Abu Dhabi in international top-level motorsports. UAE rallying and motor sports fans alike will be able to find him behind the wheel of his Citroën & Abu Dhabi Racing car at a few more WRC events this year, including the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) – the Dubai International Rally, which is set to take place 27 Nov – 29 Nov 2015.

Apart from Al Qassimi’s 2015 programme that is once again made up of a selection of WRC events and a full season in the MERC, it is also worth noting that Emirate’s presence in global motorsports is about to grow from another source: Abu Dhabi Racing’s innovative new app. It allows fans to follow all the latest ADR news, videos, photos and events on the go.

The Abu Dhabi Racing app, which is the first app of its kind, allows “users to stay up-to-date with all the latest ADR news, team information, video and pictures, and includes a live results feed and tweets from people involved in the action.” It is free to download on Apple’s app store and google play, or at http://www.adr.ae/en-us/apps.aspx.